Wisemen of the forum,

Over recent months you have continued to provide me with useful advice and possible solutions to the sort of dilemmas that only a fellow farang in Thailand would ever be able to understand.

From tips on surving the gruelling stay in up country Thailand to advice on the invasion of the in laws, your expertise has so far been invaluable.

Now just a qucik search fo the forum tells me that Thai logic and all that is associated with is very much a road well trodden in these here parts.

However, my latest connumdrum is perhaps the most challenging of all and it must be said, one which has me beaten mentally, and almost physically.

Let me explain...

In our office at work we have a water dispenser. Nothing unusual about that, right? Of course not. In fact, it's an excellent water machine, which has temperature control setting for both hot and cold water, a clock and a striking digital display. It works exactly as advertised and dispenses water as and when required. Up to this point, I couldn't be any happier with this particular addition to the office. It's far more productive than the graphic designer we employed last month, for example. However, I digress.

BUT....

When the thing runs out of water and we have to change the water cannister/tank (call it what you will) which sits on the top of the machine, myself and several of my colleagues are quite literally bamboozled by what occurs next.

Unlike similar water dispensers that I've seen in the UK, we are unable to change the water tank without quite literally flooding the office.

Look at the pictures below.

Once you remove the blue cap from the water tank, there is no way of turning the tank over to place it on top of the water machine without a significant amount of water pi$$ing out all over the place. Bare in mind that the tank is pretty heavy, which makes it even more difficult to change it over.

In the UK, the water tanks prevented this very thing happening as the top of the tank would be pierced as it was placed on top of the machine, not allowing for any water spillage.

However, this dosn't happen in Thailand.

Some people out there must have water dispensers in their office? How the hell do you change these things? Is it all in the technique? Am I completely stupid and am just missing something? Has Somchai got one over on me and have I been out smarted by Thai logic?

Please help!

It is all in the technique and you are completely stupid and just missing something...

Basically just flip it over quickly with the recptical as empty as possible first. Let the water spill into the empty receptical.

We've got one at home and change it two or three times per week. No undue splashage.

You've got to be kidding. I've been changing water bottles on those type of machines all of my life. I've never seen one that pierced the top. The unit has a small container in it which cools the water. You take off the blue cap, pick up the bottle, position the spout over the tank and begin to pour water in the tank. You then quickly turn the bottle over and set it in place. I've never spilled water when changing the bottle!

No no. Leave the blue cap on. There is a pipe about one inch diameter inside the machine that pierces the soft blue cap for you. I got it wrong for a weeks until the wife showed me.

Yes it's all in the technique. It helps if you have strong arms. One of the guy's in my office broke his wrist whilst changing the tank.

Yes you don't take cap off. It should pierce.

Yes it's all in the technique. It helps if you have strong arms. One of the guy's in my office broke his wrist whilst changing the tank.

Sounds like he ought to have been drinking milk, not water...

1.

check with your water supplier, your model may in fact pierce the soft plastic cover when you put the new drums in.

2.

at my office, staff carry and pour in some water into the hole and slowly tilt until it sits on the water machine.

we very hardly spill at all.. unless just plain clumsy..

hey better wet than no water!

i have the same one in my house, and have no problem to change it ..

no water on the floor or anything

just changed my office one 30 seconds ago.

Just to confirm, pour slowly, don't try and rush thinking that will help avoid splashage. Counter intuitive I know, but slower pouring is the way to go.

Technique.....Can take a few goes to get it..............

Troll post removed

Had the same problem. Take a knife and cut an X into the blue cap.

reply to removed post has also been removed

here's an idea: why dont you finish the water first before changing?

or is there a fly-by date which you must absolutely change the bottle?

just asking..

I find you are more likely to have spillage if there is still too much water in the machine... in other words once the bottle is empty allow the residual water to drain to at least 25%, then quickly invert the bottle and insert.

When I lived in the US we had one of these. I am not a big guy but I did not find it difficult to take the top off and flip it quickly.

It's not rocket science.

I have not been changing these things "all my life", as a previous poster stated, but I have been around them in various countries for the past 20 years or so.

I have yet to see one that did *not* pierce the cap.

To pierce or not to pierce.....sounds like something from a 'virgins' novel?

When you find the Unicorn, the Dodo bird and Santa Claus, that's where you find Thai logic,

in the corner of the room, not knowing what to do with it's self....

A good way to see how the "physics" of this operation come into play, is to use a similar technique on something smaller.

It always amazes my buddies (the few I do have) when I take an empty beer glass and set it on the bar. Next step is to grab a newly opened, large Leo (name your brand) and pour it slowly into the glass. When the glass is a quarter full, continue tilting the bottle until it is fully upside down, and the opening is submerged in the beer (already poured in the glass).

Your beer will not spill a bit. The flow will stop. You then gently lift the beer just a tad above the surface, slowly filling the glass. You can stop the flow any time by submerging the opening. When you get the glass 3/4 way full, lift the beer quickly and turn it back upright. You will get a nice, 1 inch proper froth on the top and you quickly set the bottle down....and smile. Everyone will be aghast, of course.

Sometimes I just leave it upside down in the glass and dare somebody to do the same. It is a technique.

By the way, use a strong glass. I shattered one that was much too narrow, as I could not get the neck down to the proper level... hehehe.

I do this when I am toasted, and people think it cannot be managed.

Yes you don't take cap off. It should pierce.

I thought this first time the empty tank needed replacing but there's nothing to pierce the blue cap.

Here in Abu Dhabi I have 1 or 2 bottles delivered weekly to my home about 70 baht each. I just leave the top on and when I flip it into the top; the spout pierces it no problem.

But your cap design does look different.

Lots of useful tips and techniques here.

As some pointed out, it is no rocket science.

What I fail to understand is the title of the OP. What has the water dispenser got to do with 'Thai logic'?

here's an idea: why dont you finish the water first before changing?

or is there a fly-by date which you must absolutely change the bottle?

just asking..

Of course we finish the water before changing, why would I want to change tank that wasn't empty?

Lots of useful tips and techniques here.

As some pointed out, it is no rocket science.

What I fail to understand is the title of the OP. What has the water dispenser got to do with 'Thai logic'?

Because it's in Thailand and only in Thailand have I had this same problem. In fact, the only time I didn't see it spill was when Somchai came and delivered the machine on day one.

Liek I said, never in all my years of working in offices in the UK, have seen a problem like this.

Yes it's all in the technique. It helps if you have strong arms. One of the guy's in my office broke his wrist whilst changing the tank.

Sounds like he ought to have been drinking milk, not water...

Yes, he's frail and limp wristed.

1.

check with your water supplier, your model may in fact pierce the soft plastic cover when you put the new drums in.

2.

at my office, staff carry and pour in some water into the hole and slowly tilt until it sits on the water machine.

we very hardly spill at all.. unless just plain clumsy..

hey better wet than no water!

I think this is the best solution, you get your staff to do it for you! Good advice, and perhaps the only solution to this conundrum.

technique.